Efficacy and safety of percutaneous renal biopsy performed using 18G needle versus 16G needle: a single-center retrospective study

BACKGROUND: At present, both 16G and 18G needles are used for percutaneous renal biopsy in China. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of biopsy performed with the 18G needle vs. the 16G needle. METHODS: The data of patients who underwent percutaneous renal biopsy at our hospital between January 2015 and December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The number of glomeruli obtained by puncture and postoperative complications were compared between patients undergoing biopsy with the 16G and 18G needles. Continuous variables were compared by the t test or the Mann–Whitney U test, and categorical variables by the chi-square test. Correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship of different variables with hematoma size. RESULTS: Of the total 3138 kidney biopsies, 2526 were performed with the18G needle and 612 with the 16G needle. The number of glomeruli obtained was not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.078). Large hematomas were significantly more common the 16G group than in the 18G group (9.31% vs. 5.98%, P = 0.003). Arteriovenous fistula was also more common in the 16G group (1.14% vs. 0.23%, P = 0.005). Other complications were rare, with similar incidence in the two groups. CONCLUSION: The 18G needle is as effective as the 16G needle for percutaneous renal biopsy. The risk of large hematoma and arteriovenous fistula appear to be lower with the 18G needle.